Proverbs 9

1: Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven columns;

2: She has dressed her meat, mixed her wine, yes, she has spread her table.

3: She has sent out her maidens; she calls from the heights out over the city;

4:" Let whoever is simple turn in here; to him who lacks understanding , I say,

5: Come, eat of my food and drink of the wine I have mixed!

6: Forsake foolishness that  you may live; advance in the way of understanding.

7: For by me you days will be multiplied and the years of your life increased."

 

Yesterday, Zach left the house to "run some errands".  Later that afternoon, the friend he was with called to say Zach never showed up and wasn't answering his cell phone.  You better believe this momma got worried!  Then Xavier gets home from work and informs me that one of the "errands" Zach wanted to run was to go pick one of his best friends up from school......in a different town!  Then they started having car trouble......I just love how Zach's guardian angel works.....

I asked Xavier if he was going to go help the boys and he said no....they got into this mess and they would have to get out of it (it was a radiator hose leak......fixable with a little creativity).  Xavier said he would "monitor" the situation.  He reminded me that Zach was an adult and that he would get into this situation at some point eventually and he needed to use that old noggin to work his way out of it. I reluctantly agreed.  They were making progress home.....just very slowly. At one point he said they even lost the radiator cap and prayed as they retraced their route.....Zach's guardian angel was at work and they found the cap.

At one point Zach called me to give me an address...they had gotten off the freeway and onto a different street....I asked him if he had ever seen the movie "Dead Man Walking"......he said no and I told him he was coming close to living it! Ok, yes I was joking....trying to lighten the mood.....

My son, who left at 11:30am  for a few "errands" FINALLY made it home with his friend (who's divorced parents didn't have time to pick their son up from college and bring him home) around 6:30 pm.  I made sure they were both fed and given lots of water-here in Texas it is around 87 degrees with humidty close to 60%...(today we'll break the 90 mark).

My husband was right, of course.  With few pointers from my husband, they were able to nurse the car back home.....paying for repairs on their own along the way.  It gave them experience in emergency car repair, and respect for how much those repairs and supplies can cost.  They learned things like "let someone know where you are going", "carry extra water in the car", and "prayer works".  Even though Zach is an adult, he's still learning some good life lessons!

I've learned it is ok to let your children grow up.....

Proverbs 8

1: Does not Wisdom call, and Understanding raise her voice?

2: On the top of the heights along the road at the crossroads she takes her stand:

3: By the gates at the approaches of the city, in the entryways she cries aloud:

4: "To you, O men, I call; my appeal is to the children of men.

5: You simple ones, gain resource, you fools, gain sense.

*****'

10: Receive my instruction in preference to silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold.

11: [For Wisdom is better than corals, and no choice possession can compare with her.]

12: " I, Wisdom, dwell with experience, and judicious knowledge I attain."

*****

32: "So now, O children, listen to me;

33: instruction and wisdom do not reject! Happy the man who obeys me, and happy those who keep my ways,

34: Happy the man watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts;

35: For he who finds me finds life, and wins favor from the Lord;

36: But he who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death."

 

My husband sent me this link today.  Thought I'd post it....to all us parents who get to those rough spots when we have to wonder if our kids are really 'getting a good education' at home!

Enjoy!

http://www.kcci.com/education/16187339/detail.html

Proverbs 7

1: My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands.

2: Keep my commands and live, my teaching as the apple of your eye;

3: Bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart.

4: Say to Wisdom, "You are my sister!" call Understanding "Friend!"

In our Catholic faith, the month of May is devoted to the Blessed Mother, Mary, the Mother of Jesus-our Lord and Savior.  In some homes, the custom of having a Mary Garden is particularly special.  I have always wanted one, but have not put forth too much effort (I also have a black thumb...can kill a cactus!).  Several years ago, my family gave me a very special and unique statue of Mary, she is kneeling, hands clasped at her heart, head bowed in prayer, humility.  Eventually, I hope to find a special statue of Jesus to put with her.  This year I hope to have a Mary Garden in my atrium.  Alex pulled all the weeds and Xavier is working on rebuilding the fence.  Check out www.mgardens.org for LOTS of info, history and links. Here is a little more on Mary Gardens from www.catholicculture.org

Mary Garden

The joy over the appearance of new plants and flowers in spring prompted man to attribute to them a special power of protection and healing. People planted special spring flower gardens; they brought branches of early-blossoming plants, like ***** willows, into their homes; they decorated themselves and their living rooms with wreaths of flowers and clusters of blossoms. A striking Christian variation of these nature rites was the medieval custom of planting "Mary gardens," which were made up of all the flowers and herbs that are ascribed by love and legend as a special tribute to the Blessed Virgin. This charming and inspiring tradition has been revived in many places in Europe and more recently in this country.

 

Directions

In a typical Mary garden the statue of the Madonna occupies a place of honor, either in the center or in a grotto against the wall, with, usually, a birdbath or bubbling fountain built in front of it. Some of the more familiar plants of the many that belong in a typical Mary garden are:

 

Columbine and Trefoil are said to have sprung forth at the touch of Mary's foot, and consequently bear the popular names Our Lady's shoes or Our Lady's slippers.

Marigold (Mary's bud) has bell-shaped blossoms of vivid yellow. An old legend says, "Her dresses were adorned with Marigold." This flower was used to decorate her shrines for the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) and during the month of May.

Lily-of-the-valley (Our Lady's tears). This delicate flower is still widely used in Germany, there it is called Maiglockchen (May bells), to decorate the Mary shrines in churches and homes during the Virgin's month (May).

Foxgloves thrive in moist and shaded places; they blossom in many colors and present a most attractive sight with their clusters of little bells, which were called Our Lady's thimbles in medieval times.

Snowdrop. This charming flower is the first herald of spring in Europe. It often blossoms as early as Candlemas (February 2) between batches of melting snow; hence the name. In Germany it is called "Snow bell" (Schneeglocklein). Little bouquets of snowdrops are the first floral tribute of the year at the shrines of the Madonna on Candlemas. It is a popular emblem of Mary's radiant purity and of her freedom from any stain of sin.

Lily. This stately and dignified flower has been associated from ancient times with Jesus and Mary, and is called Madonna lily in many parts of Europe. At Easter its brilliant and fragrant blossoms symbolize the radiance of the Lord's risen life. Later in the year it is used to decorate the shrines of Mary, especially on July 2, the Feast of the Visitation. It also is an old and traditional symbol of innocence, purity, and virginity.

Rosemary produces delicate and fragrant blossoms of pale blue color in early spring. according to legend, the plant originally bloomed in white; however, it turned blue (Mary's color) in reward for the service it offered when Our Lady looked for some bush on which to spread her Child's tiny garments after having washed them on the way to Egypt. The bushes do not grow very tall but as they grow older they spread out and thicken, forming a dense bush. There is an old superstition that "the rosemary passeth not commonly the height of Christ when he was on earth."

Violets are dedicated to Mary as symbols of her humility. They are said to have blossomed forth outside her window when she spoke the words, "Behold, I am a handmaid of the Lord." Leaving her, the angel of God blessed the little flowers in passing, thus endowing them with the tenderest and most beautiful fragrance of all plants.

Roses were associated with Mary from early times. Saint Dominic (1221) is credited with the spreading of the familiar devotion called the "Rosary (rosarium) of the Blessed Virgin Mary." The word "rosary" originally meant a rose garden but was later used in the sense of "rose garland." Three colors are especially consecrated to Mary: white roses as symbols of her joys, red roses as emblems of her sufferings, and yellow (golden) roses as heralds of her glories.

 

Activity Source: Easter Book, The by Francis X. Weiser, S.J., Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York, 1954

 

St. Dominic Savio
Here was a boy-saint who died at the age of fifteen, was one of the great hopes of St. John Bosco for the future of his congregation, and was canonized in 1954.

He was one of ten children of Carlo and Birgitta Savio. Carlo was a blacksmith and Birgitta was a seamstress. When Don Bosco was looking for young men to train as priests for his Salesian Order, his parish priest suggested Dominic Savio. Dominic became more than a credit to Don Bosco's school—he single-handedly organized those who were to be the nucleus of Don Bosco's order.

St. Dominic Savio was twelve when he met Don Bosco and organized a group of boys into the Company of the Immaculate Conception. Besides its religious purpose, the boys swept and took care of the school and looked after the boys that no one seemed to pay any attention to. When, in 1859, Don Bosco chose the young men to be the first members of his congregation, all of them had been members of Dominic's Company.

For all that, Dominic was a normal, high-spirited boy who sometimes got into trouble with his teachers because he would often break out laughing. However, he was generally well disciplined and gradually gained the respect of the tougher boys in Don Bosco's school.

In other circumstances, Dominic might have become a little self-righteous snob, but Don Bosco showed him the heroism of the ordinary and the sanctity of common sense. "Religion must be about us as the air we breathe," Don Bosco would say, and Dominic Savio wore holiness like the clothes on his back.

He called his long hours of prayer "his distractions." In 1857, at the age of fifteen, he caught tuberculosis and was sent home to recover. On the evening of March 9, he asked his father to say the prayers for the dying. His face lit up with an intense joy and he said to his father: "I am seeing most wonderful things!" These were his last words.

Excerpted from The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

Patron: Boys; children's choirs; choir boys; choirs; falsely accused people; juvenile delinquents; Pueri Cantors.

Things to Do:

• Learn more about the Salesians and Salesian saints.

Proverbs Chapter 6

6: Go to the ant, O sluggard, study her ways and learn wisdom;

7: For though she has no chief, no commander or ruler,

8: She procures her food in the summer, stores up her provisions in the harvest.

9: How long, O sluggard, will you rest? When will you rise from your sleep?

10: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest...

11: Then will poverty come upon you like a highwayman, and want like an armed man.

***

16: There are six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to him.

17: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18: A heart that plots wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,

19: The false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

Word of the Week: PEACE

Verse of the Week: Jesus came and stood in the midst of the disciples and said to them, "PEACE be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his sides.  John 20:19-20

Virtue of the Week: RELIABILITY

Feast Days, Special Events: The Acension, Cinco de Mayo, Bl. Damien Joseph de Veuster of Molokai

Field Trips and Fun Stuff: HEB Grocery Store Field Trip

School for Cameron-Usual Suspects: Religion, Math, Science, Geography, Spelling, Reading, English, Wordly Wise, Bookclub, Soccer/P.E.

Proverbs Chapter 5

1: My son, to my wisdom be attentive, to my knowledge incline your ear,

2: That discretion may watch over you, and understanding may guard you.

Proverbs Chapter 4

1: Hear, O children, a father's instruction, be attentive, that you may gain understanding!

2: Yes, excellent advice I give you, my teaching do not forsake.

3: When I was my father's child, frail, yet the darling of my mother,

4: He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart hold fast my words: keep my commands, that you may live!

5: "Get wisdom, get understanding! Do not forget or turn aside from the words I utter.

6:Forsake her not, and she will perserve you, love her, and she will safeguard you;

7: The beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom; at the cost of all you have, get understanding.

8: Extol her, and she will exalt you; she will bring you honors if you embrace her,

9: She will put on your head a graceful diadem; a glorious crown will she bestow on you."

10: Hear, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life shall be many.

11: On the way of wisdom I direct you, I lead you on straightforward paths.

or weekends.  Xavier left at midnight last night to go up to the church to start cooking for a Quincinera reception tonight.  30 briskets take a long time to cook!  The poor man is stressed enough as it is.....but he loves cooking briskets.  He will get little-to -no sleep today.  Our Alex is the birthday girl's escort so we'll be staying for the whole thing....till 11pm or longer.  Alex will then be staying at the church for the Youth Group Rock-a-Thon....again-little to no sleep.....

Sunday is our Goddaughters birthday party (ok. they are twins....and we're sort of surragate Godparents to the other one, too.....)....there will be more cooking of course, and waterballoons and confetti eggs. 

Now summer is coming (who am I kidding....it's going to be 90 degrees this week....summer is here!), the pool has been open for 2 weekends now and we haven't been able to go, yet!  Ahhh, but I have a back up plan!!!  I purchased a blow up pool for just these kind of weekends so the little guy can at least get some water time.   I am sure that the 18, 15 and 8 year olds will also try to take over the kiddy pool....heck the dog may even get into in (yuck).

Hope everyone's weekend is a blast!

Proverbs Chapter 3

1: My son, forget not my teaching, keep in mind my commands;

2: For many days, and years of life, and peace, will they bring you.

3: Let not kindness and fidelity leave you, bind them around your neck;

4: Then will you win favor and good esteem before God and man.

5: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not.

6: In all your ways be mindful of Him, and He will make straight your paths.

7: Be not wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil;

8: This will mean health for your flesh and vigor for your bones.

.......

19: The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, established the heavens by understanding;

20: By His knowledge the depths break open, and the clouds drop down dew.

21: My son, let not these slip out of your sight: keep advice and counsel in view,

22: So will they be life to your soul, and an adornment for your neck.

Proverbs Chapter 2

1: My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands,

2:Turing your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding:

3: Yes, if you call to intelligence, and to understanding raise your voice;

4: If you seek her like silver, and like hidden treasures search her out:

5: Then will you understand the fear of the Lord; the knowledge of God you will find/

6: For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding;

7: He has counsel in store for the upright, He is the shield of those who walk honestly,

8: Guarding the paths of justice, protecting the way of his pious ones.

9: Then you will understand rectitude and justice, honesty, every good path;

10: For wisdom will enter your heart, knowledge will please your soul,

11: Discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you;......

Well, I've been asked a couple of times about what curriculum we'll be using here at the Jimenez School.  I've been searching through catalogs since the Christmas Break in preparation for the ARCH Conference we had in April. We've pretty much got everything ready to go except for the "accessories" like the science kit, extra books for reading, etc...

Here's the plan so far:

Cameron:

LANGUAGE ARTS:  Seton English 4 , Seton Spelling 4 , Seton Handwriting 4 , Seton Phonics 4 , Seton Reading 4 for Comprehension, Seton Reading 4 for Thinking Skills, the Seton 4th Grade Readers, Wordly Wise Book 1, Various books to be read on Saints to be chosen over the summer for reports...He will also be continuing with the Book Club he is currently in.

MATH: Saxon 5/4

SCIENCE: Apologia Zoology 2 with kit from Creation Sensation, Science Museum Classes, also weekly Nature Walks

HISTORY: Story of the World Book 1, supplemented by various Unit Studies, Seton Catholic Faith Comes to the New World

GEOGRAPHY: Various Workbooks

RELIGION: Seton Religion 4, Faith and Life, Baltimore Catechism, and daily utilization of our really really cool Catholic planners/liturgical year reading and Catholic Culture website.  Cameron will also attend CCE at our parish for the "community building" aspect of his faith and we will also have have a specific home CCE date/time.  We also really celebrate the liturgical year and special feast days.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE: we will keep working on Sign Language, Spanish and Latin

PHYSICAL EDUCATION: P.E. at our local YMCA and soccer when in season, also bicycle riding, roller blading and swimming.

ART: Will be more appreciation this year-taking a break from "class"...it will be replaced with...

MUSIC: Music Appreciation and Theory and beginner piano/recorder

This year we will also be implimenting some type of service project each month except for Lent when we'll be participating in Operation Rice Bowl.

ISAAC'S CURRICULUM;

Our Mother of Divine Grace's Little Saint's Program and the Brightly Beaming program-Letter of the Week and "Mrs. Christine' s Art House

This summer we will do a Literature Study on the book SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON using Veritas Press and other resources.....and if time permits, one on the Boxcar Children from Beyond Five in a Row

Seems like a lot, but I have learned to put more emphasis on the areas where Cam needs the most work-he is an excellent reader, reading level is well beyond his 8 years but we are hitting that age where he will either begin to read for the love of reading or start to avoid it like the plague.  Tying reading into fun activities has worked with bookclub so we'll be trying that with our other reading activities here at home. 

I have found that school works better, the better I am prepared.  That is always a challenge and so I know I must step up to the plate and take that challenge.  I will really be working hard this summer to put things together and purchase supplies.  Because we take most of Advent off from regular school, we start school at the beginning of August.  We might start a bit earlier on some schoolwork-taking advantage of having to stay indoors out of the oppressing heat and humidity we have here in Houston.

I love hearing about everyone else's ideas and about how everyone else does school!

Ok forgot to put this up yesterday.  We went on a field trip to Petco on Monday.  Only 2 other families went so the group was small.  Because the group was small, the kids all got to hold more pets and spend more time with the animals.  Petco is one of the only petstores that still sells pets around here and even they are starting to shut down their "pet" business so we were really blessed to be able to spend time there. 

The kids started with the birds and got to touch a parakeet.  They were new to the store so were a little worked up so we didn't bother them too long.  The kids found out that standing on poles is actually good for their feet-it's called "perching" and helps keep their feet healthy and in shape.  They also learned that males tend to have a true blue band right over their beaks close to their nostrils.

Then they went to the small mammals....mice, hamsters, guinea pigs and rats (ugh...OMG this one was HUGE).  The kids all got to hold a guinea pig.  It was very soft and pretty content being pass around-very curious about the kids!  The kids learned that these animals all have to chew constantly so that their front teeth stay manageable.

Of course then we had to go to the reptile section (ugh again).  The kids all got to hold baby bearded dragons!  Cool pro-mo for the upcoming "Nim's Island"!  They were sort of cute (for reptiles) and fit in the palms of thei kids hands.  The bearded dragons love to be with their owners and can be taught to "hang out" with them.  Drawback-they get big quickly.  The kids also got to hold corn snakes (eek!).  The snakes and kids did very well.  These were baby corn snakes and small enough to handle easily.  Corn snakes are the most popular "pet" snakes and even come in a variety of colors (oh yea.....like THAT will win me over...).  The kids also got to hold geckos...which were a little to fragile to me it seems.  Next they go to SEE Red-Haired Tarantulas and Emperor Scorpions!  Ok we looked.....we DID NOT TOUCH!!!  What scary things to keep as PETS!? 

Then the kids got to the fish department.  There was a turtle encounter and they got to see different types of fish and Betas.

They kids rounded out their tour with a revisit of the small mammal section where they got to hold a teddy bear hamster-who was NOT interested in being held!

The kids learned that the following make great "first time" pets:

Small mammals: Guinea Pigs and Rats (ugh again...sorry Shannon...just can't do it)

Reptiles: Corn Snakes and Bearded Dragons

Fish: Bettas and Angelfish

Our family is planning on at least getting an aquarium.  We'll be studying Zoology 2 this year-Swimming Creatures, so it should be fun.  Isaac LOVES fish and dear dad can probably handle an aquarium full of fish better than he can a guinea pig (MY favorite choice) or a bearded dragon or corn snake (Cameron's choice.....).  Sorry Shannon, no one wanted to bring home the rat.....

All in all it was a great field trip and the kids had a lot of "hands on" with several different types of "pets".  We used good hygiene and learned why it was important when handling pets.  We then had a nice lunch at a local park.  Isaac had so much fun he fell asleep before we even made it to the park! 

Next week it's a field trip to HEB and the world of groceries!!!

Proverbs Chapter 1

1: The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David,king of Israel,

2: That men may appreciate wisdom and discipline, may understand words of intelligence,

3: May receive training in wise conduct, in what is right, just and honest,

4: That resourcefulness may be imparted to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

5: A wise man by hearing them will advance in learning, an intelligent man will gain sound guidance,

6: That he may comprehend proverb and parable, the words of the wise and their riddles.

7: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, wisdom and instruction fools despise.

8: Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and reject not your mother's teaching;

9: A graceful diadem will they be for your head; a torque for your neck.

A WONDERFUL MOTHER

God made a wonderful mother,

A mother who never grows old;

He made her smile of the sunshine,

And He molded her heart of pure gold;

In her eyes He placed bright shining stars,

In her cheeks, fair roses you see;

God made a wonderful mother,

And He gave that dear mother to me!

by Pat O'Reilly

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM, I LOVE YOU!!!

Lord, Please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Psalm 96:3

Help my children to live lives that are alway overflowing with thankfulness, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:7, Ephesians 5:20